Collapsible top for vehicles



P. PELLEPIGUES,

GOLLAPSIBLE TOP FOR VEHICLES.

No. 560,068 Patented May 12, 1896.

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PIERREPELLEFIGUES, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

COLLAPSIBLE TOP FOR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 560,068, dated May 12, 1896. Application filed December 17,1895. Serial No. 572,447- (No model.)

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, PIERRE PELLEFIGUES, a citizen of the United States, residing in San Francisco, California, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Collapsible Hoods for Vehicles, of which the following is a speciiication.

My invention relates to improvements in collapsible hoods for carriages and wagons, and provides means for raising the hood or top and for raising the frame for supporting and stretching the same without the necessity of a person descending from the seat or discommoding him.

My invention particularly refers to the construction of the back of the seat of a vehicle in such a manner as to permit of its containing not only the supporting-frame but also the hood or top, and to such construction of the parts as to cause them to remain attached to the seat, thereby preventing any possibility of their being mislaid or left behind.

My invention comprises the back of a seat constructed in two hinged pieces forming a box-like device wherein the frame and hood may be carried, two rear tubes into which the frame may descend, and the frame itself comprising a rear rod rigidly secured to a cylindrical piece which may telescope into the said rear tubes, and to which may be hinged an intermediary rod and also two arms, the lat ter carrying severally a tube adapted to slide thereon, to each of which tubes is secured a bent rod forming the front of the hood-frame.

It also comprises two telescoping uprights provided with hooked ends located at or near the front corners of the seat for securing the frame in position when open, and, furthermore, in various details of construction to be hereinafter described.

One form which my invention or embodiment of the same may assume is hereinafter described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a carriageseat hood-frame raised in position, the hood itself being broken away to show the inside. Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the frame and hood folded, the two halves of the boxlike back being shown open. Fig. 3 is atop view of one of the rear tubes.

A is the seat-back of a vehicle, which may be a carriage, buggy, or wagon, and comprises two sides A, hinged, as at A and opening at the top, where there may be a device for holding them in a closed position, such as a clasp A A side clasp or hook A may be added for the same purpose. It is immaterial as to what substance the back is formed, but for convenience I have used sheet metal. The back may be supported in any desired manner, an iron frame B being shown in the drawings. This frame may conveniently extend on the sides, as is usual in many vehicles. It is provided with two rear tubes C C, one at either end or rear corner of the seat. These tubes end in the interior of the back itself, or, in other words, the two halves of the back itself inclose the ends of the tubes. There are also provided two telescopic uprights located at or near the front corners of the seat, which comprise the front stationary tubes D D and the inner rods D D, which they contain and which slide in the said tubes. Each of these rods ends in a hook D There is also provided a thumb or clamping screw D to each of these tubes, by means of which the inner rod may be set at any distance in a vertical sense. The seat E of the vehicle may be of any ordinary construction and does not enter into my invention.

I have now referred to the stationary parts of my invention. The collapsible frame comprises a bent rod F, of such a shape that it will support and stretch the hood itself. The ends of this rod are rigidly secured to the cylindrical pieces F, which fit into and slide in the rear tubes C. The length of these pieces should be suflicient to prevent binding and also to allow of their being held in position by the band and thumbscrew C when the frame is raised to its elevated position stretching the hood. To the cylindrical pieces are hinged, as at IF, the two ends of the forwardly projecting arms C, said hinges permitting the said rod to approach or to be extended.

Telescoping on the arms G are the two tubes H, which extend forward and are secured rigidly to the front rod H the latter being suitably bent to form the front of the hoodframe and to which the hood itself is secured. To the ends of the telescoping tubes of the front rod are hinged the two intermediary ICO rods K K, and it will be readily understood that the rear rod and the arms 011 which the front rod telescopes are joined together at the cylindrical pieces F. To hold the frame in a desired position when spread, there is provided a tape or flexible band K which, although permitting the rods to approach each other, will effectually prevent them from separating too much.

The hood L, as has been already described, is secured to the front rod and is carried back over the other rods and ultimately descends to a convenient distance below the level of the seat and is detachably secured,by means of buttons and eyes, to it. It will be also under stood that the hood is only attached to the front rod and is thereby drawn over the other rods when the frame is stretched in its raised position. WVhen the hood is lowered and the frame closed, both the hood and the transverse portion of the rods F, K, K, and II will lie in the back of the seat-that is, between the two hinged parts of the said backand the cylindrical pieces F, the vertical portions of the rods K K, the arms G, and the tubes H will descend into the rear tubes 0 C. I11 its raised position the frame will be held from descending by the clamping device 0, which will exert a pressure on the ends of the rear tubes in such a manner as to prevent the cylindrical pieces from moving up or down when the said clamping device is operated by the thumb-screws which form part of the same. In like manner the rods of the telescoping uprights D D may be hooked down over the arms G, as shown in Fig. 1, and be kept in position, exerting a downward pressure on the frame, by means of the thumb-screws D Having now described my said invention, what I claim, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is

1. In a collapsible top for vehicles, the combination of a seat, a frame, and a box-like back adapted to. carry the said frame, substantially as described.

2. In a collapsible top for vehicles the combination with a seat, a box-like back formed in two halves hinged at the top and adapted to carry the said frame, substantially as described.

3. In a collapsible top for vehicles, the combination with a seat, of a rear tube or tubes, a frame adapted to telescope in said tubes, and a box-like back into the interior of which may be caused to descend the said frame without detaching the same from the said tubes, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

PIERRE PELLEFIGUES.

Vitnesses:

H. VAN OHTENNEELY, E. B. BOLTON. 

